Seeing Something More
by Lady of the Black Lake
Summary: After a classmate runs off, Rose Weasley confronts them and finds out that Scorpius Malfoy is more plagued with doubt, anger and bitterness about his past than ever before.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One: Talk of Monsters_

Rose Weasley was chasing after Scorpius Malfoy who had just blatantly walked out of their History of Magic class without saying anything. The redhead was barely glimpsing his shoe before it disappeared around another corner and went along another corridor. She huffed. He was Head Boy and they were in their seventh year, he couldn't afford to just miss or leave class.

"Malfoy, what's wrong?" she called, picking up her pace so that she was jogging after him. "Malfoy!" She rounded the corner and was able to see that the person whom she had been chasing had stopped as if frozen, just at the end of the corridor. His posture was rigid, shoulders tense.

"Go away, Weasley," he spit out, his voice echoing in the empty corridor. The flame flickered in their sconces, casting their long shadows onto the walls of the corridor. "I don't need you."

"Why did you leave?" the young woman asked, coming closer to him. His back was still to her but he had turned his head so that she could see his face in profile. His light hair was slightly messy possibly because of running a hand through it; his eyes looked glazed over as if he was fighting back tears.

"Why don't you go back to class and re-read the chapter we just started? How your father and mother and your uncle were the Golden Trio and saved the wizard world from a bloodthirsty and malicious tyrant whilst my my father was a traitor to both sides." Scorpius' voice was filled with bitterness.

Rose sighed. "But your father is different now. He's better and knows what side he's on. He chose right in the end. Why should the past matter?"

"Why should that matter? Weasley, my father and his father before him were considered monstrous, vile wizards who wanted nothing more than to help Voldemort rise to power. And I fear that if that time should come again, I will be the same. Unable to choose a side so I betray both."

Rose was standing at his side now and was able to stare into his face. "You don't really mean that, do you? You think you'll turn bad?"

"I _am_ bad," Scorpius corrected, glaring down at Weasley. He sounded so sure of himself. "It's in my blood."

"Malfoy, with all due respect, if the Headmistress thought you were a bad person with the capabilities of being evil, she wouldn't have made you Head Boy," Rose pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest. "Unless you're saying that was a mistake and she shouldn't have trusted you."

"McGonagall was foolish to entrust being Head Boy to me," Malfoy said, looking away from her and out the castle's corridor window to the Black Lake that spread out along the landscape.

"I think she sees the good in you more than the bad. After all, you're also friends with my cousin when you didn't have to be. You could have been as hateful to my whole family as your father was with my father and uncle."

"Albus is different. He defied his family's legacy. He chose Slytherin. Don't you see? I don't have that choice. I can't just choose to defy my family's past."

"Are you really going to tell me you believe that?" Rose said, producing a small smirk that faded when she realized he was being serious. "Scorpius Malfoy, you of all people can walk away from your family's legacy. Just be the better person and learn from your family's past. Don't let it repeat itself."

"It's not that simple," Malfoy insisted, looking back to his supposed adversary, the young woman was now looking at him not with pity but understanding.

"Only because you don't make it that simple. Let me help you, Scorpius. Please."

She was holding back the lump in her throat that felt like it would stop her from breathing if she let it. Her body was trembling, her hands clenching as she looked at his face. "Malfoy…"

"You can't help me, Weasley. I'm a monster or at least destined to be one."

"You're not a monster. I believe in you," Rose said, trying to reassure him. Slowly, she unclenched her right hand and then moved it so that it rested on his left shoulder, her palm feeling the texture of his school uniform shirt. It was soft and warm and had the faint scent of Scorpius' cologne and the laundry soap the house elves used to wash the clothing.

"That's the thing though, Weasley," Scorpius replied, letting his eyes meet hers. "You shouldn't believe in me. Because believing in me means you're trying to save some part of me. And monsters don't get saved. They get put down by the monsters you should really be afraid of."

With that, he moved out from under her light touch and walked away from her, traveling the corridor at a brisk pace. Rose watched as he loosened his tie, presumably to take some of the stress he felt off of him. He couldn't run from her forever as they shared a dormitory but she knew she'd have to give him space. _Still_, she thought as she headed back to class. _There must be a way to show Scorpius that he's not a carbon copy of the past._


	2. Chapter 2

_Pricked Thorns_

That night, while everyone ate dinner downstairs, Scorpius walked along the corridors of the castle. He needed to be away from everyone and be allowed to be alone save for his thoughts. At the age of seventeen, though his hair was still a light shade of blond, it was darker than his father's platinum hair. Scorpius was grateful for that small differentiation.

It wasn't that he hated his father. Rather, he loved his father highly. He recalled fond memories of his father with him at the age of four as Draco had attempted to teach Scorpius how to fly on a broomstick. That day was one of the best days of Scorpius' life.

But these memories were hard to face when almost everyone in the wizard world thought differently about his father. Yes, they all agreed that Draco Malfoy was a changed man. But the fact remained of who Draco Malfoy had been in his youth and what he and his family had represented. And that was what Scorpius wanted to escape. The darkness.

He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard someone come up behind him until his new companion cleared their throat. He turned around quickly, ready to tell the person off but he stopped short when he saw it was Albus Potter, his best mate.

Before he could say anything, the Malfoy boy watched as Albus reached into his pocket and produced a napkin that was filled with food.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, mate," Albus said as he handed over the food. "McGonagall knows you weren't at dinner and she's not happy."

"Yeah, well, I just needed to be alone for a bit," Scorpius admitted. He took the napkin filled with food and looked at what Albus had grabbed for him; a roast beef sandwich, some little fruitcakes and Scorpius' favourite dessert, a Chocolate Frog. He smiled gratefully up at his friend. "Did your cousin tell you how she interrogated me this morning?"

Albus smirked, his green eyes lighting with a mischievous twinkle. "Maybe."

Scorpius gestured for his friend to walk with him. "She's something, your cousin. Always getting her nose into my business."

"Well, I'm sure Rose would deny this but maybe part of her cares about your well-being. You do live with her after all. If you're dismal, you make her dismal by extension." After he spoke, Albus shook his head slightly so that his black hair was out of his eyes.

"Weasley doesn't care about me. She's hated me the whole time we've been at this school," Scorpius protested before he took a bite out of the roast beef sandwich. "Or have you forgotten how we always compete for everything? She tries to undermine me," he added after he swallowed his bite.

"Rosie's always been competitive though, it's not just with you," Albus replied. "She can't help it, it's her nature. Think about it. When Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione went here, Aunt Hermione was the smartest person in this school. And Uncle Ron was fantastic as a Keeper on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. That's a lot to live up to."

"It's a lot better than what I have to live up to," Scorpius said, his tone a little dark as he finished off his sandwich.

"Would it be mean of me as your best mate to tell you to get over it?" Albus asked, tentative. "You know your dad's different now, you should try to live up to his new expectations of you. To be a good person."

"You can't be a good person and be in Slytherin," Scorpius interjected as he forgot for a brief moment the house into which Albus had been placed. For that, he got a light shove to his right arm from the other male.

"Gee thanks, you git!" Albus replied. By the tone of his voice, Scorpius could tell he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"Except for you. I don't even know how you got put into this house."

"Have you ever thought you can be a good person in Slytherin but you're Sorted there because you have scheming or conniving tendencies? Cleverness? You'll do anything to meet your ends? That's why I chose it when I got Sorted. I wanted to be able to fully express myself and hatching plans and pranks is what I do best. Therefore, Slytherin is the best fit."

Scorpius thought about what his best mate said. "I never knew you chose your house."

"Yeah, I did," Albus said as he patted Scorpius on the back. "And you're just like me. You're not a bad guy, you just like being able to be a prat sometimes and get away with it."

Scorpius rolled the fruitcakes up in the napkin and stuffed it into his pocket before he turned his attention to opening the Chocolate Frog box.

"But what if that's only a gateway to worse things? My father started out the same, only wanting to cause some trouble. Back in his first year – "

The male was cut off when more footsteps echoed through the corridor before a familiar head of read hair turned around the corner. Rose Weasley looked furious.

"Where the bloody hell have you been, Malfoy? We have Heads duty!" she yelled as she stormed towards them. "It's one thing to skip dinner, it's another to skip our –"

Scorpius gave an overdramatic eye roll. "Ginger, do you ever stop talking?" he asked with a sigh.

Rose scowled. "That depends. Will you ever do something right so I don't need to lecture you?"

"Look, if you wanted to be my mother, you're doing a good impression. I was just walking when Al met up with me and gave me food, that's all. We were having a chat."

He watched as Weasley's gaze turned to her cousin. "What were you talking about?" she demanded as she glared up at the both of them. Both males towered over Rose, as they were both six inches taller than she.

"Sorry, Rosie, best mates don't tell secrets. I'll see you later, Scorpius," Albus said as he began to back up down the corridor to take his leave. "Oh but if the Chocolate Frog card is Gwenog Jones, can I have it? It's the only one I need to complete my set of the old Holyhead Harpies team."

"Sure," Scorpius promised with a small smile. "Thanks for talking with me, by the way."

"Anytime," Albus replied before he jogged down the corridor and turned the corner, out of sight. Scorpius turned back to Rose to see that she angrily tapped her foot, annoyed that she was being overlooked.

"Right. Shall we?" he said as he walked past her. They could start their Heads patrol here and do the whole tour of the castle. As it was, they were near the Transfiguration classrooms and thankfully, there weren't many broom cupboards that they would have to check along the walk.

"Don't think you're getting off so easily, Malfoy," he heard Rose reply as her footsteps followed after him. She joined him at his side. "You can't just keep skipping –"

"Weasley, I've had enough of your lectures," Scorpius snapped which rendered her silent. "I know what I have to do, I wasn't going to skip my patrol tonight."

He watched from the corner of his eye to see that her blue eyes were trained on his. She seemed to be searching his face. But for what? _She's gone mental_, he thought with a small inward laugh.

"I just thought you might've," she replied, her tone less accusatory. "Since you wouldn't want to patrol with me."

"Now why would I not want to patrol the entire castle with the person who hates me most?" Scorpius questioned sarcastically.

"I don't hate you," Rose amended.

"Well then why do you constantly make my life hell by lecturing me and competing with me in everything that I do?" Scorpius asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"I just think that you're not applying yourself," she answered. That caught Scorpius off guard. He was still getting O levels in all of his classes, who was she to judge?

"Well, it's not up to you to tell me how to live my life, especially if it doesn't correspond with your agenda. It's annoying."

She looked away from him then as they rounded the corner and entered another corridor, her eyes fixed on the paintings that now adorned the castle walls. The silence was awkward. Malfoy cleared his throat.

"About earlier… Albus and I were talking about me being like my dad. He was trying to get me to think that I was just a prat and not actually a bad person."

"Good, maybe you'll listen to him," Rose snapped, her tone icy. Okay, so now she was mad at him. "Because even though that's what I was saying this morning, you've completely disregarded it."

"Maybe that's because when you talk, it sounds like grating nails and when Albus talks, he speaks like a normal person," Scorpius teased with a little smirk.

Rose whirled on him. "Why do you do that?" she demanded, her voice growing loud. "Why do you push me and push me and push me and say such rude things?"

"Like you don't do the exact same thing," Malfoy returned with a sneer. "Or need I remind you?"

"That's different. I say things to get a reaction out of you, to spur you into feeling something."

"Who says I don't have feelings? You don't know me, Weasley and you shouldn't pretend that you do. You and I are strangers who know nothing of each other except grades and how our families are supposed to hate each other. I don't even know your middle name, for Merlin's sake!"

At his words, Scorpius watched as Rose backed down before his eyes.

"It's Jane," Rose replied, her tone soft and meek. "My middle name is Jane."

"Rose Jane Weasley. Yeah, that fits," Scorpius muttered. "Mine's Hyperion."

Rose smirked and held back a snicker. "Are you serious?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was the name of a Greek Titan who controlled sun and light," Scorpius replied, not liking her reaction to his middle name at all. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's just that you don't have much of a sunny personality," Rose said and she gave him a little shrug.

"I do when I'm not around you, Weasley. Now can we keep patrolling please?"

The two continued on down the corridor until they reached the end of all the Transfiguration classrooms and went onto the Grand Staircase to go down to the next floor.

"He said you cared about me and that's why you complain all the time. You know, since you're worried," Scorpius added after a few moments' quiet.

"He? He who?" Rose asked, perplexed.

"Albus, who'd you think? Pay attention, Weasley."

"Well, Al is wrong. I'm not worried about you," Rose said. "I'm worried about myself. If your grades drop, who am I supposed to compete with to be best in the class? I have a reputation and I need to know my competition." She gave him a hint of a smile.

"Maybe you won't need to compete with anyone and just be at the top of the class all by yourself. Not everything is a battle, Weasley."

"Says the person who battles with himself all the time," Rose returned. Scorpius didn't know how to reply to that. She was right.

"You need to stop trying to see the good in me, Weasley. It's not going to change anything."

"Well, I'm not going to stop trying. You're a tosser, a git and a prat but if Albus is friends with you than you must be alright somewhere."

"Or you need to re-evaluate your cousin's mental health," Scorpius joked.

"See? That right there! Yes, it was a joke at Albus' expense but you're able to joke! You're funny!" Rose said, her small smile growing.

Scorpius instantly recomposed himself. "Have you ever heard of being a wolf in sheep's clothing? I can still be a bad person but make jokes. It's not that hard."

Rose stopped him from walking and put her arm out in front of him so that he couldn't pass her on the stairs. "You need to let it go. You're not a bad person, neither is your dad and as for you grandfather, you don't even see him anymore. You literally have nothing but good influences around you, how can you think you're a bad person?"

"Like I told you before, it's in my blood, Weasley. And once again, I don't need to explain myself to you. Let's just get the patrol over with, ok?" He pushed his way through her arm barricade and continued down the steps.

"Do you _want_ to be a bad person?" her quiet voice asked behind him. He turned around. 

"No."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't perceive yourself to be one. You know how if you think you'll fail an exam, you'll fail it because you've taught yourself that you will?"

He nodded and waited for her to continue.

"Doesn't that apply here?" Rose added. "You think you're a bad person so you'll become that bad person?"

Scorpius hesitated but ended up saying nothing and went down to the next floor of the castle with Rose following behind. For the rest of the patrol, they didn't talk except when they had to deduct points for students caught in the hallways. When they went the dormitory for the Heads, he went right up to his room without a word to Rose and she was left to go to her own room and think of how she could help him.

_Except_, she thought as she looked out the window to the starry night outside. _How do you help someone who doesn't want to be helped?"_


	3. Chapter 3

_Brooms and Blows_

It was few weeks later and there was a Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Slytherin in full swing. The rain pelted down from the blackened sky and soaked everyone in the stands and on the pitch through to the bone. Rose shivered as she hovered in front of the middle goal hoop. Her fingers grasped her broom tightly since she feared she would slip off because of the rain and her knuckles were white. Her eyes scanned the players that flew around the pitch. All of the Chasers for Ravenclaw were doing a decent job at keeping the Quaffle away from the Slytherin Chasers, which was something Rose was thankful for. But the Slytherin Beaters took shots at the Ravenclaw Chasers with the Bludgers that were just as good and could barely be avoided. From the corner of her eye, Rose saw that Scorpius hovered high up in the air, away from the main traffic of the game. His eyes were squinted as he attempted to see the Snitch amongst the heavy raindrops that plummeted down. She could see he was getting frustrated and smirked at the thought.

_If we win this game, everything will be worth it_, she thought to herself as she looked away from her fellow Head. She watched as one of the Ravenclaw Chasers, Matthew Finnegan, was hit square in the chest with a Bludger. He released the Quaffle as his chest compacted and then fell off of his broomstick. He landed hard on the soaked mud below and was rushed off the pitch by Madam Pomfrey. As for the Quaffle, it had moved into Slytherin possession and the Chasers flew right at her. They intended to try and score a goal. Well, it wasn't going to happen, was it?

Rose steeled herself and kept her eyes peeled on where the Quaffle was amongst the three Slytherin Chasers. Albus was one of them and he gave her a smirk as they drew closer. Rose always had an advantage with Albus as the Weasley/Potter clan played Quidditch together at the Burrow on their vacations therefore knowing exactly how Albus threw and phased a play. But Albus also knew Rose's weaknesses and strengths as well and she could practically see the gears turn in his head as he thought of a way to outsmart her. He finally settled on a strategy and threw the Quaffle to the hoop on Rose's immediate left. Rose flew to stop it and was just able to graze her fingers on the ball before it moved past her and through the hoop. Slytherin was now up another ten points and the two teams were tied. Rose cursed herself and Albus gave her a little wink before he flew back onto the pitch with his fellow Chasers.

She looked for an open spot amongst her teammates to find someplace she could throw the Quaffle. Matthew was down so she only had two Chasers. Thankfully, one of them was open and she used to her broomstick to hit the Quaffle to them. As she turned her attention back to the rest of the game, she looked up to see that Scorpius no longer hovered over the game. Her eyes flashed around as she hoped to spot him and when she did, she groaned. He was within three feet of the Snitch with his arm outstretched and the Ravenclaw Seeker was just behind. She caught the attention of one of the Ravenclaw beaters, her cousin Louis, and gave him a furtive glance to the Seekers. Louis took the hint and when a Bludger came his way, he aimed it at Malfoy. Direct hit!

Malfoy's arm was hit straight on and he cried out in pain. He didn't let go of his broom but he sunk through the air until he hovered just above the mud-slicked ground, clearly dazed; he clutched his arm and looked up at Louis with a glare but before he could do anything, Madame Hooch's whistle blew.

The Ravenclaw Seeker had continued on and caught the Snitch. Slytherin had lost the game.

Fast-forward to that night and the Ravenclaw team members were celebrating in their common room. Rose was invited, of course. When she arrived, she saw that Scorpius stood outside of the common room with his arms folded over his chest. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she moved to stand beside him and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I came to talk to your cousin. Pomfrey mended my arm instantly but he and I need to have a few words."

"Louis? He's a Beater, what do you expect? All's fair in love and war, Malfoy." She leaned on the door that marked the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room and the doorknocker came to life. "No riddles right now, we can wait to be let in," Rose snapped before it could say anything. It faded back into objectification, hardened metal. She turned her gaze back to Scorpius. "Upset that you lost, then?"

"I'm upset because I lost because of your stupid cousin."

Just then, the door opened and Albus and Louis appeared at the doorway. "Hey, glad you could make it," Albus said to Rose before he turned to face Scorpius. "How's your arm, mate?"

"It's fine. Louis, can I talk to you?" Scorpius asked in a clipped tone. Rose watched as her cousin came forward. She glared at Scorpius as she stepped into the Ravenclaw common room and Albus shut the door behind her. The arms of her teammates instantly enveloped her as they gave her congratulatory hugs for their win. No one heard what was going on outside in the corridor where Louis and Scorpius had been left until the music that had been blasting the entire time was turned off so Rose could make a speech. It was then that they heard a loud bang that seemed to shake the room and Rose turned round, shocked.

Albus ran to the door and opened it and the people within Ravenclaw Tower rushed out to see that Louis and Scorpius had their wands drawn and were in the middle of a duel. Both bled heavily from several gashes. Rose and Albus ran forward but were held back by some of their friends.

"Louis, stop!" Albus shouted as his cousin and pulled his wand to cast a protective shield in between the two. But he before he could cast the charm, Scorpius wordlessly executed another spell that sent Louis flying back into the walls of the corridor and he slumped when he fell to the floor. They waited for him to move but when he didn't, Albus ran forward to check his cousin. "He's unconscious but breathing. Scorpius, you need to get out of here. It looks bad, really bad."

Before she could think about it, Rose turned around and cast a forgetful charm over everyone that had witnessed the duel. She then ran to Scorpius' side to help him but he glared when she came close.

"Don't you see? It started off as a simple talk and we turned it into a duel. I _am_ the monster, Weasley," he said as he looked at his victim. "I didn't mean for him to get hurt that badly but I wanted him to get hurt."

"We can talk about it later, Malfoy but I have to get you out of here," Rose said, panicked. She took his hand and began to lead him away. "Albus, you need to make Louis forget what happened right now!" she called over her shoulder to her cousin. "Quickly!"

The sound of footsteps as they travelled through the corridor alerted everyone to the fact that not only students but teachers were on their way to check out what had been happening. Rose barely had enough time to get Scorpius into a broom closet before a crowd of people flooded the corridor with the Headmistress in the lead of it all. Rose locked the broom closet and cast a charm so that if someone looked into the broom closet, the two Heads would be concealed, camouflaged into their surroundings.

"If we lose our badges for this, I will kill you," Rose hissed as she heard McGonagall ask Albus why Louis was unconscious. Albus played it off like Louis had gotten too drunk and had fallen down the stairs from the entrance to the common room. The other students, having had their memories modified, didn't remember a thing so they all went along with what Albus said to not seem foolish. Rose sighed in relief and glanced at Scorpius only to realize exactly how close they were in this broom closet. He gave her a little smirk.

"Scared, Weasley?"

"You wish," she whispered back as she put her hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. In response, Malfoy did the same to her and she glared at him. Scorpius just cocked an eyebrow in response, his eyes holding playfulness.

They were stuck here until everything was figured out. Great.


	4. Chapter 4

Just My Luck

When they finally were able to return to the Heads' dormitory, Rose and Scorpius both collapsed on the couch in front of the fireplace. Rose looked over and saw that Scorpius was still tense. He kept his gaze fixated on the entrance the dormitory as if he waited for McGonagall to come and burst in. There was a clock at the side of the fireplace that chimed 2 a.m. It was so late compared to when the two of them normally went to bed.

"You can relax. No one told her anything. You're going to be fine," Rose said. Scorpius snapped out of his trance and looked at her instead.

"But what happens if your cousin is really hurt because of me? It's not worth it if I get to keep my badge. I don't want to be Head Boy if I don't deserve it," he said as he ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Louis has a fairly thick skull, I can almost 100% guarantee you that he's fine." Rose spoke the truth. When duelling in the garden at home in the summer, she had accidentally knocked out Louis and he had woken up two hours later, fit as a fiddle. "And Albus is still with him so I'm sure we'll hear news of how he is sooner or later."

Scorpius didn't relax. "Weasley, you aren't listening. I hurt someone today to the point where he was knocked out."

"And you aren't listening to me when I tell you that it's not the end of the world. Honestly, Malfoy, relax. Worse things have happened at this school and worse things will happen after we graduate." Rose put her hand on his shoulder. "You are fine. And if McGonagall does somehow find out, we can explain that it was self defense." She then took her hand off of his shoulder and got up off the couch. "I'm going to head to bed, ok? See you in the morning." She then headed up to her bedroom and shut her door behind her.

It was about five in the morning when Rose felt a shake on her shoulder. She rolled over and opened one eye. It was Malfoy.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in my room?" she asked, half-asleep.

"I came in here to snog you… what do you think, Weasley, I can't fucking sleep."

"That's not my problem," Rose mumbled and she rolled back over, her red hair produced a fluffy mane around her head.

"I feel so guilty."

"Feeling guilt equals no criminal mastermind, now go to sleep," Rose groaned. "Or I'll hex you into Oblivion."

"Will you stop with the jokes? I actually feel like a terrible person right now."

She could hear the impatience in his voice and was that … fear? Fear for showing his emotions? Rose sat up and looked at him with a sleepy gaze.

"If I give you a Sleeping Draught, will you leave me alone?" she practically growled, annoyed at being woken up. Scorpius nodded. The Weasley girl sighed and got out of bed, her pyjama bottoms so long they brushed against the floor. As for her top, it was long sleeved and kept her quite warm when she wasn't in the cozy heat of her bed. She went over to one of her cabinets and took out a care package that her mother had sent her. Finding the Sleeping Draught, she took it out and handed it to Scorpius.

"There, Malfoy, are you happy now?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow. It was as if she was challenging him to say anything negative.

"Yes, I am. Go back to bed, Weasley and thanks." He scurried from her room, downing the potion as he went. Rose sighed and closed up her cabinet, leaving the care package out on her desk. The moonlight was pouring into her room and she knew it was far too bright for her to able to go back to sleep.

"Just when I need it, he does too," she muttered as she got back into bed. "That's rotten luck."


End file.
